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Is anyone in or passing through Almaty? Is anyone in or passing through Almaty?
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Northern and Central Asia Topics specific to Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Mongolia, China, Japan and Korea
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  #1  
Old 3 Sep 2023
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Is anyone in or passing through Almaty?
I am planning to fly to somewhere in Central Asia, probably Almaty next year and hopefully buy a new Japanese branded 125cc motorcycle to tour around on for three months before selling it when I have finished.
It looks like Kazakhstan might be the best place to do this and it appears that new Hondas and Yamahas are sold there but I cannot find a dealer that stocks them just a website that suggests that they do. I was wondering if someone on the ground there could ask around and if they hear of one and have time check out the place to confirm they exist, have stock and get some contact details.
Any help would be appreciated.
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  #2  
Old 3 Sep 2023
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Put up a post on Freerider Almaty, it's as much a social network as a shop/bar. I'm sure somebody will speak English.
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  #3  
Old 4 Sep 2023
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Originally Posted by Tomkat View Post
Put up a post on Freerider Almaty, it's as much a social network as a shop/bar. I'm sure somebody will speak English.
Do you have a link to something about them in English? I found what I think is the business but everything was in Russian.
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  #4  
Old 4 Sep 2023
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Google Translate will do whole websites for you.

Mark, I *might* be in Almaty in a few days, and would like to help out if I can. However, it’s a big, unfamiliar city and I’m without my own transport. This becomes easier to contemplate if I know you’ve tried the usual steps yourself, like contacting any HUBB communities there, Marat (https://caravanistan.com/tour_operator/marat/), and the resource given above. In my experience, contacts written in both English and (Google-iced) Russian are most likely to attract responses. In other words, make it as easy as possible. (I don’t know how common the local languages are, but almost everyone seems to speak Russian as at least a second, if not a first, language.)

Hope that’s helpful.

(another) Mark
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  #5  
Old 4 Sep 2023
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Originally Posted by markharf View Post
Google Translate will do whole websites for you.

Mark, I *might* be in Almaty in a few days, and would like to help out if I can. However, it’s a big, unfamiliar city and I’m without my own transport. This becomes easier to contemplate if I know you’ve tried the usual steps yourself, like contacting any HUBB communities there, Marat (https://caravanistan.com/tour_operator/marat/), and the resource given above. In my experience, contacts written in both English and (Google-iced) Russian are most likely to attract responses. In other words, make it as easy as possible. (I don’t know how common the local languages are, but almost everyone seems to speak Russian as at least a second, if not a first, language.)

Hope that’s helpful.

(another) Mark
I have tried using translate on the Russian language websites that have looked promising but they either don't make much sense or have any useful information after translation. The one person on the advrider tent space in Almaty is a dead link and the communities page here is currently down, I have also checked caravanistan where the same question was asked by someone a few months ago but not answered.
I have emailed a couple of local tour companies to see if they could help, for a fee of course they are in business but have just been referred to their rental websites which have bikes I don't want and would be too expensive anyway for that period of time.
The one thing I have not done is contact Marat who you link above and will do so now thank you, I did not know caravanistan was linked to a tour company and will try him.

I have just looked through the caravanistan website and they specifically say do not contact them with general questions about travel but to use the forum.
Last edited by mark manley; 4 Sep 2023 at 09:02. Reason: Update
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  #6  
Old 4 Sep 2023
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The pin on tent space was me, from when I lived out there a few years ago. As I'm back in UK I've just messaged them and asked to delete it. But yeah Marat is a good guy though very busy with his tours just now. Russian is the language everyone speaks out there (Kazakh is the second but tends to be used out in the sticks, in the cities the more educated folk speak Russian, and some of the younger ones or in the hospitality industries some can speak English).

Marat's website: https://www.silkoffroadtours.com/
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  #7  
Old 15 Sep 2023
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Well, I did get to Almaty with the best of intentions, but instead of helping you out I decided to catch a cold and be miserable instead. I’ll offer only that Almaty’s indeed a big city, but reasonably cheap to get around if you use the “Yandex” taxi app—otherwise you’re at the mercy of kindly passers by, who are many, and/or rapacious taxi drivers, who are almost equally numerous. Procuring a local SIM and linking it to Yandex will save a lot of trouble. Pre-enabling Russian/English offline translations via Google Translate will also be key to any sort of functionality.

Sorry I wasn’t able to help out, but hoping you’ll turn up the information you need

Mark
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  #8  
Old 16 Sep 2023
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Originally Posted by markharf View Post
Well, I did get to Almaty with the best of intentions, but instead of helping you out I decided to catch a cold and be miserable instead. I’ll offer only that Almaty’s indeed a big city, but reasonably cheap to get around if you use the “Yandex” taxi app—otherwise you’re at the mercy of kindly passers by, who are many, and/or rapacious taxi drivers, who are almost equally numerous. Procuring a local SIM and linking it to Yandex will save a lot of trouble. Pre-enabling Russian/English offline translations via Google Translate will also be key to any sort of functionality.

Sorry I wasn’t able to help out, but hoping you’ll turn up the information you need

Mark
I hope that you recover quickly it is even less fun when you feel rough in a strange place as well as taking the edge off of your trip, thanks for the tips about phones and taxis.
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  #9  
Old 16 Sep 2023
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When I was there Uber was far and away the best way to get about. The taxis are expensive and don't like doing short runs. Buses are good, load the ONAY app, shows you which buses go where and when and it's only 80 Tenge (may have gone up!) for any distance, very cheap! The subway stations are awesome and well worth the journey just to see those, but there's only about 12 on the entire metro so limited use for getting round.

Doing the "Gypsy cab" (hailing passing cars) isn't recommended unless you speak Russian, you never know who you're getting into a car with, and you could easily get ripped off or worse.
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  #10  
Old 18 Sep 2023
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Originally Posted by Tomkat View Post
When I was there Uber was far and away the best way to get about. The taxis are expensive and don't like doing short runs. Buses are good, load the ONAY app, shows you which buses go where and when and it's only 80 Tenge (may have gone up!) for any distance, very cheap! The subway stations are awesome and well worth the journey just to see those, but there's only about 12 on the entire metro so limited use for getting round.



Doing the "Gypsy cab" (hailing passing cars) isn't recommended unless you speak Russian, you never know who you're getting into a car with, and you could easily get ripped off or worse.
Mark is right Yandex Go is the way to go, Uber isn't popular there anymore.

Sent from my BV4900Pro using Tapatalk
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  #11  
Old 8 Dec 2023
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Hi Mark (Manley): sent you a PM and will follow this thread avidly as headed to Almaty mid May 2024 (and onward to Dushanbe to rent a bike).
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  #12  
Old 20 Apr 2024
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I will be in Almaty in first week of May and happy to check this out. Can you send me the details pls.
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